Travels with a toddler

We left Belgium for country number 23 on our tour, Germany. We were heading for the Black Forest, an area neither of us had visited before. A campsite spotted on cool camping was looking hopeful so that was our direction set.

We eventually arrived later than expected (reception had shut for the night) to find the tent field only had availability for 3 nights. Having so far spent 2 nights in one camp and 3 nights in another, we felt ready for a slightly elongated respite from the erecting regime but it looked unlikely. Still the site was too beautiful to resist - and we had no backup plan - so we claimed our spot. Turns out it was German school holidays for Corpus Christi which meant the tent field was filled with feral foot highers. Perfect for us. And even more perfect, with some shuffling bookings by the owners we lasted a whole week in one spot. Woo-hoo!.

That stream is freezing! Mullerweiss the most perfect campsite ever.

Camping Mullerweiss was what camping should be all about: no cars allowed so the kids can roam free and mini trolleys to get your gear from the carport across the icily refreshing mountain stream to the tents. The trolleys also made good kid carts for added fun. The site had a playground, the wading, damning, splashing stream and right next door, a beautiful beer garden complete with trampoline and another playground! Camping Perfection.However, more than anything, what made this place great was the atmosphere and our fellow campers. Within ten minutes of arriving, both Jess & Otto were off, taken under the wing of the German children next to us. The camp was full of German mums and their kids; the dads presumably all absent at work. I do feel sorry for hard working dads (and mums) everywhere who miss out on family holidays. If only we could all find a work life balance that allowed kids to grow up spending loads of time with both parents. Everyone would benefit. As we often say, you don't get to the end of your life wishing you had spent less time with your kids! I wondered how likely it would be for UK mums to set off camping with their children minus the dads. I'd like to think some would, but I fear the average UK mum wouldn't even consider it.The campsite wasn't all German, there were Dutch and British on the site too.in fact we turned up at exactly the same time as a Scottish family who were really lovely. Ed and Kerry with their two kids Gillan and Rohen, had been to a wedding in Slovakia and were camping their way back to Edinburgh. We shared a fun day with them in a beautiful open air mountaintop swimming pool as well as loads of fun playing in the campsite stream, and a few relaxed campfire evenings swapping travelling tales. The most memorable moment in my mind remains the image of Ed wearing an archery target with a metal colander as a helmet running from the army of kids pelting him with water bombs at Ro's birthday party. A burn entertainer, his home made bubble maker was a sight to behold. .

Riding through the forest roads

This region of Germany is packed full of activities. As well as riding the bikes through the very green, Black Forest, there are loads of swimming opportunities in open air pools and lakes. We also enjoyed a treetop walkway which was full of obstacles thirty feet in the air! Mikey was a little scared but the kids helped him through it. Add in the 55 metre slide down from the top of the walkway’s highest point, it was ample entertainment for an afternoon.

Navigating the obstacles at Baumwipfelpfad treetop walkway near Bad Wildbad

Special mention must go to the barefuss park. What a great way to connect with nature. Basically, it's a walking trail through forest but to keep it exciting for the young at heart, you walk it barefoot. It’s designed with small sections of interesting tactile surfaces: freezing cold streams, smooth cobbles, fir cones, trampolines, wood chip, thick sloppy clay and even broken glass! A simple and utterly unique way of transforming a pretty but otherwise uneventful walk into a sensation for the soles!

Sole sensation at the Barefoot Park.

As the tent field emptied, we realised it was time for us to move on as well. Tempting as it was to stay on, three months on one campsite was not on our agenda. So we packed up again, next stop Austria.